A New Era of Sporting Protest – Key Considerations for Competition Organisers

By Ben Lovett & Harry Saunders, Teneo Strategic Sports Advisory

?September 4, 2023

Sports have long served as a target for protest – they offer a powerful cultural platform from which to grab the attention of the masses, as well as reach and impact in a way that other political and societal forums simply cannot.

But now, following a summer of orange-flavoured disruption by climate activist group Just Stop Oil, it is clear we are witnessing a new breed of protest – one amplified by the rise of digital and social media, and where the stakes for federations, associations, leagues, clubs and competition organisers have never been higher.

Today’s protests aren’t just about sports as the platform. We’ve entered an era of ‘stakeholder capitalism’ where businesses and organisations are expected to deliver more than simply profit and product. Purpose is key. And the credentials of major sporting events across issues including sustainability, diversity and inclusion are in the spotlight like never before.

Organisers should keep the following five points in keep in mind when planning for any kind of high-profile tournament, match or event:

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1.???? Building a risk response framework

Faced with the potential for everything from environmental protest to politically motivated cyber-attack, having a robust risk strategy in place is imperative.

Typically, effective risk planning begins with an immersive discovery and research phase to identify key external stakeholders and issues. A situational analysis then helps to determine gaps in wider event preparations and priority risks. Beyond this, organisers should make sure that all stakeholders and suppliers are well briefed to respond proportionately to direct protest, so that the response itself does not become the story.

Organisers should also consider running live desktop exercises to rehearse their risk strategies. Moderated effectively, these exercises will prepare organisers for the speed at which crises can move today.

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2.???? Agreeing narrative and tone

What organisers say, and how they say it, matters every bit as much as the actions they take when responding to an issue.

A narrative playbook is a core messaging framework from which external statements can be created where, and when, necessary. This structured and consistent approach is about helping tip the balance of reasonableness in the court of public opinion - who do I believe is more likely to tell a balanced version of the truth? The competition organiser? Or a single-issue pressure group with a penchant for direct action?

Keep in mind that broadcast and digital media can ensure filmed comments and conversations live on for weeks, months, even years – so remember to convey concern, control, commitment and context in any public response.

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3.???? Stakeholder engagement

Beyond immediate spokespeople, there are some critical external stakeholders that it will be important to align with and bring ‘into the tent’.

Perhaps chief among those stakeholders are media and broadcasters. Ensuring that they are armed with information around how an organiser intends to manage any protests is key, so that they are not caught off guard, and don’t give the impression that the response is haphazard or unplanned.

This focus on arming broadcasters with relevant information can also be applied to other key stakeholders, such as commercial rights holders and sponsors. Briefing those groups in advance of an event can help to create a sense of a shared vision and ensure that communications from all parties are aligned and consistent.

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4.???? Nurturing third party advocacy

Outside of those stakeholders that have a formal connection to the event, there is a much larger network of potential advocates who have the power to influence public discussion on protests.

These wider, sometimes disparate groups of followers present both an opportunity and risk for competition organisers. Finding a way to successfully engage with ex-athletes and famous fans on key event guidelines can mean that if a protest takes place, there is a higher likelihood of the wider public conversation being more closely linked to the organisers’ own communications strategy.

Ensuring that these more informal networks of advocates understand what the organiser plans to do in response to protests, and the story it wants to tell, is critical to ensuring that the organising team can retain control of the narrative.

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5.???? Engaging with protest movements

When considering the risk of protests, one question above all else lingers in the air for the organisers – ‘should we attempt to engage with potential protest groups directly?’

On one hand, direct engagement could legitimise the protesters, but on the other, refusing to meet could lead to accusations that an organiser is not engaging in good faith.

Another issue to consider is whether reaching any sort of agreement to limit or avert disruption is realistic, and whether the organiser can be confident that agreement will be honoured. Many protest groups now operate as disparate ‘cells’, without a central leader or leadership team. There is always the risk that a protest group agrees to cancel a protest, but a sub-group of dissenting members decides to go ahead anyway.

Ultimately, direct engagement with protesters is a decision that will always have to be taken on a case-by-case basis – based on factors such as whether the protest group has a record of being trustworthy in similar situations, and if there is any realistic prospect of averting protests in the future.

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In conclusion, sport, politics and protest are inseparable – from Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, to Colin Kaepernick taking the knee, to the successful rainbow laces LGBTQ+ awareness campaign. Organisers need to embrace this but also learn to deal with a more atomised landscape of protestors. In the immortal words of Roy Keane (whose own protests against the FA of Ireland at the 2002 FIFA World Cup were, many would suggest, rather more self-destructive) – ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’.

Teneo has advised a wide range of high-profile sporting events and organisations on their risk profiles and strategies – including FIFA World Cup Qatar 22, Rugby World Cup 23 and the Grand National 23.